HOLLISTONCOMMUNITY GARDENSat the PINECREST GOLF COURSE

Sponsored by the

Holliston Agricultural Commission

with support from the

Holliston Garden ClubHolliston In Bloom Committee

IN THE BEGINNING . . . 2009

Donna Kramer brings the idea to the Holliston Agricultural Com-mission (Janet Horne, Donna Kramer, Helen MacArthur, MelissaBailey, Elisabeth Patt, Robert Blair, and Tim Donohue).

FEBRUARY 2009, DECISIONS WERE MADE

At the February meeting the idea was discussed in detail with Elizabeth Pattʼs sonDerrick, who brought a lot of ideas to the meeting about such things as: Gardenrules, how to sign up, web site, contracts, organic or not, how big to make the plots,how many plots build, and more. The commission decided to move forward with theHolliston Agricultural Commission Community Garden project.

TIME TO GET EVERYONE INVOLVED

The Agricultural Commission is pushing ahead with its plans to create a communitygarden at the rear of the parking lot at Pinecrest Golf Club. The first year's endeavorwill support ten 10' x 10' gardens and may be enlarged if there is enough interest insubsequent years. The gardens will be awarded on a first-come first-serve basis.

APRIL 2009

A letter was sent to the selectmen from the Commission requesting the start of a Commu-nity Garden. With many people working on the project, Carl Damigella from the Board ofSelectmen, Steve Cronin from Pinecrest Golf Club, Tom Smith and the Highway Depart-ment, Don and Brian Kramer, Bill Suarez and Steve Craig, Bobby Blair, Elizabeth Patt, aplan was put in motion. The site was chosen, materials and fencing was acquired, irrigationand water was brought up the site, the earth was churned and compost and fertilizer wasadded .

MAY 2009

Live in a condo or apartment? Have no sunshine due to trees? Just have terrible growingsoil? The Holliston Agricultural Commission may have the answer for you. A CommunityGarden is in the works. Although the sod has yet to be turned, the commission hopes tohave garden plots ready by the end of May. Ten plots will be readied at the far end of theparking lot behind clubhouse at the Pinecrest Golf Course.

As one commissioner said, "Till it and they will come"...

If all things work out, Holliston Community Garden hopefullywill be seed- and-plant ready by mid-June.

“TILL IT AND THEY WILL COME”

MAY 2009 - COMMUNITY GARDENING

Don and Brian Kramer, Donnaʼs husband and son, cultivated the soil and brought inyards and yards of compost. Bill Suarez and Steve Craig picked many, many rocks.They also drove in the stakes and put up the fencing, gate and ran the water line forirrigation. Bobby Blair donated the fencing. Elizabeth and Donna spread the finallayer of fertilizer as the last step in preparation for planting on June 28th.

COMMUNITY GARDEN IS UP AND RUNNING.

Already there were 4 gardeners signed up: Ted Hayes had 2 plots, Natalie Kent had 2 plots,Martha Cummings and Barbara Lush each had a plot. Later on Jodi Howard, Bill Suarez andSteven Craig each had a plot.The orignal plots were 6 - 10x10 plots marked with a 2 footpath between the plots. guidelines were created. The soil was tested and harrowed. At theend of the season the land was rototilled and rye grass was planted.

JUNE 2009 HOLLISTON WORKS TOGETHER

How many people does it take to create a Community Garden?In Holliston it takes a bunch. And the citizens are the winners.

2010 - SECOND YEAR

Last year's baptism of the garden was held in the summer months rather than thespring. With the garden tilled in late November and another turning of the soil ex-pected early in the spring, commission members hope to be able to accommodateup to ten gardners for the ensuing 2010 growing season.

2011 - THIRD YEAR

There was work done on the fence. Every plot was full. We have several peo-ple donating their produce to the Holliston Panty Shelf. The commission ap-proached several town organizations to apply for grants for the fence. It wasneeded as varmints and deer were a problem. Three more plots were addedthis year. We continued to have positive feedback from our gardeners.

2012 - FOURTH YEAR

Several grants which the commission had applied for have gone unfilled and thecommission is looking to fence in the town's Community Garden located behindthe Pinecrest C.C. clubhouse. Commission members were hopeful to erect amore critter proof fence than the one currently in place. Apparently a woodchuckhas made his or her home in the middle of the garden.

2013 - FIFTH YEAR

Jim Turner added 4 new plots to the community garden this year. Increasing it to 20 plots.The commission had been talking about a new fence for a couple of years. Commissionmembers planted flowers at the entrance to the garden. With the addition of the four newplots, we have now doubled the number of plots from when the garden was created. Gar-deners and Commission members did a spring and fall cleanup.

JULY 25, 2014

After a lot work on Natalie Kentʼs part (one of the original gardeners and now a member ofthe Holliston Agricultural Commission) she was able to secure a grant from the HollistonGarden Club, and in the meantime PJ KilKelly was working his own magic and was able se-cure an additional grant from Holliston in Bloom, allowing us to put the final touches on thisincredible project.

JULY 25, 2014

What started in 2009 as a dream, has now become an amazing reality.Not only have all the commission members embraced this project, but sohas the town. The true spirit of Holliston is growing in this small plot ofland, located a bit off the beaten path.

THANK YOU!

The Holliston Agricultural Commission: Tony Lulek, Paula Mark,Donna Kramer, Helen McArthur, Janet Horne, PJ Kilkelly, JustinBrown, and Natalie Kent would like to thank everyone involvedwith this project over the past 5 years.

We especially want to thank the Holliston Garden Club and theHolliston in Bloom Committee, without their generous grants,this would not have been possible.

For more information, please contact us via emai: info@hollistonagcom.org